Meanings
nounmotherboard (plural motherboards)
plural motherboards
- computer hardwareThe primary circuit board of a personal computer, containing the circuitry for the central processing unit, keyboard, mouse and monitor, together with slots for other devices.
An electronics shop was selling ugly refurbished computers. They were small black and grey things with exposed motherboards and cracked cases.
2018, Nnedi Okorafor, Who Fears Death, HarperVoyager, page 8
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe primary circuit board of a personal computer, containing the circuitry for the central processing unit, keyboard, mouse and monitor, together with slots for other devices.
Also see
Origin
Compound of mother + board. Attested since 1965.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans moederbord
- moederbordprimary circuit board of a computer
Arabic اللَّوْحَةُ الأُمّ
- اللَّوْحَةُ الأُمّ (al-lawḥatu l-ʔumm)primary circuit board of a computer
Bengali মাদারবোর্ড
- মাদারবোর্ড (madarbōrḍ)primary circuit board of a computer
Bulgarian дънна платка
- дънна платка (dănna platka)primary circuit board of a computer
Catalan placa mare, placa base
- placa mareprimary circuit board of a computer
- placa baseprimary circuit board of a computer
- targeta mareprimary circuit board of a computer
Chinese Cantonese 主機板 /主机板, 主板
- 主機板 /主机板 (zyu² gei¹ baan²)primary circuit board of a computer
- 主板 (zyu² baan²)primary circuit board of a computer
- 母板 (mou⁵ baan²)primary circuit board of a computer
- 底板 (dai² baan²)primary circuit board of a computer
Chinese Mandarin 主板, 母板
- 主板 (zhǔbǎn)primary circuit board of a computer
- 母板 (mǔbǎn)primary circuit board of a computer
- 主機板 /主机板 (zhǔjībǎn)primary circuit board of a computer
- 系統板 /系统板 (xìtǒngbǎn)primary circuit board of a computer
- 底板 (dǐbǎn)primary circuit board of a computer
Czech základní deska
- základní deskaprimary circuit board of a computer
Danish bundkort, motherboard
- bundkortprimary circuit board of a computer
- motherboardprimary circuit board of a computer
Dutch moederbord
- moederbordprimary circuit board of a computer
Esperanto ĉefkarto, ĉeftabulo
- ĉefkartoprimary circuit board of a computer
- ĉeftabuloprimary circuit board of a computer
- patrinplatoprimary circuit board of a computer
Estonian emaplaat
- emaplaatprimary circuit board of a computer
Finnish emolevy
- emolevyprimary circuit board of a computer
French carte mère, carte principale
- carte mèreprimary circuit board of a computer
- carte principaleprimary circuit board of a computer
- carte de fond de panierprimary circuit board of a computer
German Hauptplatine, Mainboard
- Hauptplatineprimary circuit board of a computer
- Mainboardprimary circuit board of a computer
- Motherboardprimary circuit board of a computer
Greek μητρική κάρτα
- μητρική κάρτα (mitrikí kárta)primary circuit board of a computer
Hindi मदरबोर्ड
- मदरबोर्ड (madarborḍ)primary circuit board of a computer
Hungarian alaplap
- alaplapprimary circuit board of a computer
Icelandic móðurborð
- móðurborðprimary circuit board of a computer
Irish máthairchlár
- máthairchlárprimary circuit board of a computer
Italian scheda madre
- scheda madreprimary circuit board of a computer
Japanese マザーボード, メインボード
- マザーボード (mazābōdo)primary circuit board of a computer
- メインボード (meinbōdo)primary circuit board of a computer
Korean 메인보드, 마더보드
- 메인보드 (meinbodeu)primary circuit board of a computer
- 마더보드 (madeobodeu)primary circuit board of a computer
Malay papan induk
- papan indukprimary circuit board of a computer
Polish płyta główna
- płyta głównaprimary circuit board of a computer
Portuguese placa-mãe
- placa-mãeprimary circuit board of a computer
Romanian placă de bază
- placă de bazăprimary circuit board of a computer
Russian матери́нская пла́та, ма́ма
- матери́нская пла́та (materínskaja pláta)primary circuit board of a computer
- ма́ма (máma)primary circuit board of a computer
Spanish placa base, motherboard
- placa baseprimary circuit board of a computer
- motherboardprimary circuit board of a computer
- placa madreprimary circuit board of a computer
Swahili bodimama
- bodimamaprimary circuit board of a computer
Swedish moderkort
- moderkortprimary circuit board of a computer
Thai แผงวงจรหลัก
- แผงวงจรหลักprimary circuit board of a computer
Turkish anakart
- anakartprimary circuit board of a computer
Ukrainian матери́нська пла́та
- матери́нська пла́та (materýnsʹka pláta)primary circuit board of a computer
Vietnamese bo mạch chủ
- bo mạch chủprimary circuit board of a computer
Cite this entry
APA
motherboard. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/motherboard
MLA
“motherboard.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/motherboard. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “motherboard,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/motherboard.
Source: motherboard on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.